


stucky & sumo

by IllgrabmylIght



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Service Dogs, Steve Rogers would never, because FUCK the end of endgame, but he thinks about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllgrabmylIght/pseuds/IllgrabmylIght
Summary: bucky gets a service dog/fix it fic for the end of endgame because what the fuckno this fic isn't all lowercase, i'm just too lazy to make a formal summary ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	stucky & sumo

"She founded Shield without you. She had a _family_ without you. And I know she'd probably have a tough time choosing between you and that, but if you do this, she'll never get a choice. You can't just come back into her life like everything is fine just because you miss her, Steve. She moved on."

Bucky hated telling Steve no. Hated telling him that he couldn't do something he so desperately and genuinely wanted. Hated that defeated look in his eyes, because he knew Bucky was right, and he knew Bucky wouldn't let him, and he knew even more than that that he'd rather not do something than do it and feel terrible about it.

"You still _can_ ," Bucky continued, feeling more than just a little bit guilty about the depression that enveloped Steve in an all too familiar embrace. "I want you to have a choice in this, but I also want Peggy to have a choice, and I want you to make the one that gives her one."

There was also the selfish fact that Bucky didn't want Steve to leave. He didn't trust himself without Steve, didn't trust that he wouldn't run off and isolate himself again. Sure, he had Sam, but Sam was more of a friend of a best friend, at least for now.

There was also the fact that Bucky was very much in love with Steve, and he didn't even want to think about not having his Steve anymore.

He'd already lived through seventy years of that.

Steve sighed, eyeing his shield. "I love her. Even though she's gone, I love her."

Bucky nodded. "And she loved you. But she also loved her husband and her job."

Steve finally looked at Bucky. "I'd do the same for you, you know? Go back in time. If we had this stuff back then, I'd've done it in a heartbeat to jump down with you, or catch you, or keep you from getting on that train, or keep you from getting into the war."

Bucky smiled. "You don't have to, though. You've got me now, Stevie."

Steve grinned—Bucky's heart skipped at the familiarity—and said, "To the end of the line?"

"Only if you stay," Bucky said, the most honest and vulnerable thing he's admitted since they started having this "argument." "I- I don't think... my head," he mumbled, tapping his temple. "You keep me here. Grounded. If you're gone, I'm gone. He has a knack for running."

Steve nodded, once again eyeballing his shield. "I just- I love her. I can hardly live without her, Buck. Just like I could hardly live without you."

"I'm here, Steve. I just need you to be here, too."

Steve furrowed his eyebrows and chewed on his bottom lip, glaring at the ground as if it had the solution.

Bucky slid his flesh hand into Steve's. "It's okay, you know. I could probably find a reason to stay—Wilson, Stark, Romanov-"

"Get a dog," Steve said suddenly, and Bucky felt his heart plummet and his curiosity sky rocket. "They've started training dogs to take care of people with PTSD and anxiety and other things like that. When I'm not around, you can have a dog to hang out with," Steve offered with a delighted smile.

"When you're not around?" Bucky repeated, fighting the urge to curl in on himself.

"Well someone's got to get groceries, and we do have jobs, you know?" he explained casually, clearly fighting to hold down his grin.

"You- you're staying?" Bucky asked, having to make sure, and he prayed his hope didn't show in his voice, or his desperation in his eyes.

"Of course. I can't leave my best guy."

Bucky didn't know what to do with himself, or the disbelief clenching in his chest, holding his relief and joy hostage. He wanted to fall into Steve's arms and let him take the weight, but didn't want to scare him off, so instead he smiled and squeezed his hand.

Steve had him in a warm hug before he could even begin to let go of said hand. "I promise. I'm with you 'til the end of the line, Buck."

Bucky allowed himself to melt.

—

"Steve thinks I should get a service dog," Bucky told Sam as they waited on him to come back to their time.

"That's a good idea. Do you think you'd be able to take care of one?" Sam asked.

Bucky shrugged, a grin creeping across his face. "Took care of Steve when he was dying of pneumonia for the twelfth time. I'm sure a dog couldn't be too difficult."

"Did you just compare me to a dog?" Steve asked as he reappeared in their time, shaking out his limbs (like a dog) and beaming at Bucky's relief.

"Maybe, but whether or not I did is irrelevant considering you were always sick as one anyways."

Steve snorted. "And now?"

Bucky glanced over Steve and tried to come off as unbothered and not as flustered as he was because _damn_. "I'm afraid I'm not sure what answer you're looking for here."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Jerk."

"Punk."

Steve grinned.

"Do you two always act like this or did I miss something?" Sam asked, and Bucky saw Bruce nod in agreement from his control panel.

Bucky glanced at Steve and Steve eyed him right back. "Depends on what 'this' means."

Sam squinted at them before sighing dramatically and shaking his head.

"Old people," he remarked under his breath.

—

"I want a big dog," Bucky told Steve as they were moving furniture into their apartment.

"Okay. Fluffy?"

Bucky smiled, nodding. "Yeah!"

Steve grinned. "You're cleaning up all the fur."

Bucky hummed. "Alright, fair enough."

They took to the internet for ideas.

Bucky decided on a black Newfoundland puppy (Steve argued that that most certainly is _not_ a puppy).

They met up with the owner the next day.

"His name is Sumo, he eats this type of dog food," they said, motioning to the half-empty bag of dog food on the ground by their feet, "And he's just a sweetheart!"

"Sumo! Hi, buddy!" Bucky said, crouching down to Sumo and rubbing his ears, beaming so hard his cheeks hurt. "He is a sweetheart! Much sweeter than Steve," Bucky teased and threw a playful glare at Steve before returning to petting Sumo.

"He doesn't mind loud noises, storms, kids, car rides, or being in public, and he does super well in his harness. To get him to do something, just tell him. He knows basic commands like sit, lay down, stand up, be quiet, speak, all of that. He loves water, so baths are easy... Anymore questions?"

"Why are you giving him to us?" Bucky asked, looking up at them while he pet Sumo.

"Well, I've recovered mostly from my PTSD, at least to the point that I don't need a service dog anymore, and I just figure someone else might need him more than me. Besides, he loves helping people, and now that I don't really need him, I don't want him to get depressed. Also, you two are literally Steve Rogers and James Barnes, if I can't trust you with a puppy, I can't trust the air I breathe," they laughed.

Bucky smiled bashfully (he'd never been bashful, but war changes people) while Steve shrugged, also smiling but with less nerves. "Fair enough."

"Right, here's your money," Bucky continued as he stood, pulling the hundreds out of his pocket and handing them to the previous owner.

"And here's your puppy," they replied, handing Bucky the leash before bending down and kissing Sumo's nose. "I'm gonna miss you, little guy. Go be my little hero." They ruffled his fur, and he licked their hand, and after a few more minutes of thank you's and goodbyes, Steve, Bucky, and Sumo were stuffed in Steve's car and on the road.

—

Bucky woke up with a start, breathing heavily. "Steve? Steve, St- Ste- Steve, Steve-"

Something laying at the foot of the bed walked up to him, and for a moment he thought about the pistol under his pillow and the knife in the drawer and the shotgun behind the headboard and then realized that it was a dog, specifically his _service_ dog, and he relaxed as Sumo licked kisses across his face.

Bucky took deep breaths, stroking behind Sumo's ears slowly. "Hey, Sumo. Thanks, buddy. Where's Steve?"

"Are you okay?" Steve said, opening the door quickly. "I heard you saying my name. I was downstairs making breakfast."

"Did you leave the stove on?" Bucky asked.

Steve paused.

"Steve!" Bucky exasperated, grinning as Sumo licked his cheek again. "I'm alright, Sumo," he told the dog as he slid out of bed. Sumo followed behind them as they rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, where the smell of burning bacon was strongest.

Bucky watched, his arms folded and Sumo by his side, as Steve turned off the stove and took the bacon off the eye frantically.

"What did we learn today, Steve?" Bucky asked cheekily.

"That HYDRA is the root of all burnt bacon on the planet right now," Steve said.

Bucky snorted, but found his flesh hand gripping his metal arm harshly, as if to keep it from striking out. Sumo nosed at his elbow, and Bucky crouched down to pet him. "Hey, bud," he whispered, kissing Sumo's cheek. "I'm okay."

Bucky heard Steve's breath hitch and glanced over through his hair to see Steve watching him, looking both guilty and flustered. There was a memory there, and Bucky absentmindedly stroked Sumo's ears as he tried to put this Steve's face to what little memory Bucky had of past Steve, before even the serum.

_Steve had walked in on Bucky and a girl, probably one they'd been dancing with that day._

_"O-oh-" Steve had muttered before backing out and accidentally slamming the door behind him. "Sorry!" he called through the door, and Bucky couldn't help laughing against her skin._

Bucky grinned before pushing his hair behind his ear. "What's that face for?"

"Oh- well I think I hurt your feelings, but- but you're..." he trailed off, staring at Bucky's eyes but not quite looking at him. "Never mind, just felt bad."

"It's alright," Bucky said, still grinning. "The smell of burnt bacon really makes me feel better," he teased.

Steve smiled then. "Fuck off, Buck."

"Hey now, watch that mouth of yours, Steven," Bucky chastised. "You're supposed to be righteous Captain America."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Coming from the Winter Soldier, that doesn't mean a lot." He sat down next to Bucky and held his hand—the metal one. "It does mean a lot that you're not really the soldier, though."

Bucky nodded, scratching underneath Sumo's ear with his nails and rubbing Steve's knuckles with his metal thumb. "He's still there. I still hear him, sometimes. When I woke up, Sumo came up to me and I thought about every weapon I've stashed away."

"But you're also parts of Bucky, too, because if you weren't, you wouldn't've called for me, and you wouldn't've stopped yourself from getting them and using them."

Bucky winced at the mental image. "Yeah," he muttered dryly.

"You didn't, Buck. You haven't hurt anyone who didn't deserve it since you snapped out of it, okay? You're doing amazing and I'm so proud of you. Sumo is too," he added, grinning at the dog who, at that moment, had drool dripping onto Bucky's knee.

Bucky groaned, but it turned into an amused chuckle as he nudged Sumo's head off his leg and wiped away the saliva. "Yikes."

"So, are you going to help me with breakfast or do you _want_ burnt bacon?"

—

Bucky gripped Sumo's leash tightly—so tightly, in fact, that his knuckles were becoming as white as the scarring on them—as he, Steve, and Sam made their way through the mall, of all places.

"I still can't believe you brought your service dog to a mission," Sam said, pulling his cap down lower.

"He helps," Bucky defended. "Isn't that right, Sumo?"

Sumo stared up at him as they walked.

"That dog's head is empty. There is nothing behind those eyes."

"What do you have against Sumo, Sam?" Steve asked. He was acting as the mediator, walking between the two to keep Sumo from having to witness a murder.

"I just don't think he should be here," he said, holding up his hands as if he was being held at gunpoint when he very much wasn't.

"Aw, come on. I'm sure Sumo would make a good detective," Steve laughed.

"I'm sure he would!" Bucky snapped in spite of the grin spreading across his cheeks. "Sumo, sniff out the bad guys!"

Sumo, to their surprise, actually began sniffing the ground. He tugged on the leash as he went, and they had no reason not to follow his lead.

"Are you fucking serious? Who did you get this dog from?" Sam demanded, jogging to keep up.

"Some person, I don't know! They seemed ordinary! And they knew who we were and didn't try to kill us, so that's a plus," Bucky said.

Sam almost laughed. "Oh my god."

Sumo stopped, sniffed more, then barked at a lady with a normal-looking bag. Big enough for the bombs they were looking for, small enough to be discreet.

She shrieked, moving her bag behind her shoulder and gripping the handles. "Hey! Get your dog!"

"Sorry, ma'am," Bucky said. "Sumo, sit!"

Sumo sat.

Steve grabbed the woman's elbows and got her on the ground. "Sam!" He threw the bag and Sam caught it, quickly unzipping it while Shield agents took Steve's place.

Sam winced, handing off the bag to a Shield agent who looked like they knew what they were doing. "That's beyond me," he mumbled. Bucky held down his laughter, instead ruffling Sumo's fur.

"Good, Sumo! You did so good!"

Sumo licked his cheek.

"That's adorable," Natasha remarked, appearing next to him with a lazy but teasing grin. "Whose dog?"

"Mine," Bucky informed her, almost daring her to say something. She didn't, just smiled and nodded, but Bucky could tell it was genuine. She probably understood more than anyone why he needed one.

—

Bucky eyed Steve with concern as Sumo got up from his side of the couch and padded to Steve's, nosing at his hands, which were picking at his nails.

"Hey, Sumo," Steve mumbled, moving to pet Sumo instead of picking at his nails.

Bucky followed Sumo's lead, scooting to sit next to Steve. "You okay?"

Steve bit his lip (Sumo licked his cheek, and a smile pulled his lips apart instead, but it was short-lived). "Yeah, just nervous."

"About?" Bucky pressed, turning down the TV without looking away from Steve. "Unless you're not comfortable telling me. If you aren't, I can take your mind off it instead."

Steve grinned deviously. "I was going to tell you, because it's _about_ you, but how were you planning on taking it off my mind?"

Bucky snorted. "I was just gonna play with your hair and talk to you about this show, freak, but if you insist." Steve laughed, and Bucky felt warmer than he had in a while. "But you said it was about me?"

Steve nodded slowly, and Sumo crawled in his lap as he began bouncing his leg. He scratched Sumo's back and let his thoughts sort themselves out. "You know how I wanted to go back in time and stay with Peggy?"

Bucky nodded. His feelings must've been clear, because Sumo stood from Steve's lap and sat in Bucky's to lick his cheek. He laughed quietly, and Steve continued, "You know how I said I'd do the same for you? To keep you from falling?"

Bucky swallowed and nodded, running his fingers through Sumo's thick fur to distract from any self-destructive thoughts or actions. He took his metal arm off Sumo for good measure.

"Well, I would, a million times over, because..." he glanced at Bucky before scooting closer to reap Sumo's distractive benefits. And maybe to get closer to Bucky. "Buck, I'm in love with you. I have been since we were teenagers, I think, but you know how it was back then, and I just-"

"Yeah," Bucky interrupted, unable to hold it in. "I am, too. You- I- I love you. That's why it was so hard for me when you said you wanted to stay back in time—of course I was still worried about Peggy and how she'd feel, but I really didn't want to lose you. I _don't_ want to. I can't."

Steve beamed, his eyes lighting up like the moon's reflection on the sea. "I- I've been waiting so long to hear that, you don't even know, I-"

"Can I kiss you?" Bucky asked, on the verge of begging.

"I- _please_ ," Steve answered quickly, and Bucky didn't waste time in cupping his cheeks and pressing a loving kiss to his lips because he's been waiting, too, for just as long.

Steve's beard tickled against his own, and he almost broke the kiss with a grin. Steve's lips pulled into a matching smile, though, which broke them apart. Bucky pressed his forehead against Steve's and breathed the same air as him for a long while after that.

"You okay, Buck?" Steve asked as he combed his hand through Bucky's hair and oh _god_.

"'M perfect, Stevie," Bucky answered, leaning back just a little to look at Steve's eyes. "You?"

"Mhm," he hummed, nodding with a grin. "I'm amazing."

Bucky smiled, brushing his flesh thumb across Steve's cheek. "I know you are."

Sumo's tail began wagging, hitting Bucky's and Steve's touching knees, and Bucky's smile just got bigger. "Hey, Sumo. You're pretty awesome, too." He moved his flesh hand from Steve to scratch Sumo's ears, and Steve held onto his metal one instead.

"I think he's happy that we're happy," Steve said.

Bucky nodded. "I think so, too."

**Author's Note:**

> idk i just got the idea that bucky would love a big dog, and then i thought about service dogs, plus stucky for obvious reasons, and now we're here! i might make this bigger, or make it a oneshot book, but for now this is it! thanks for reading!


End file.
